Starting from this prior art, the object underlying the invention is thus to create a device for controlling a magnetic element in the body of a patient, which prevents collisions in the body of the patient as far as possible.
This object is achieved by a device with the features of the independent claims. Advantageous embodiments and developments are specified in the dependent claims.
The device is characterized in that a monitoring device monitors the position of the magnetic element in the body of the patient on the basis of location information supplied by the navigation device. The monitoring device applies a control device with control signals, which act mechanically on the guide element when the magnetic element approaches an obstacle in order to generate a haptically perceivable signal.
The mechanical effect on the guide element indicates to the user that a collision is imminent. The user is then able to change the desired movement direction of the magnetic element so as to prevent the magnetic element from colliding with the surrounding tissue. The particular advantage of the signal which can be haptically perceived at the guide element is that the signal is directly communicated in conjunction with a guide process. If a guide process is carried out by a user and the user reaches for the guide element, a warning signal is directly transmitted to the user's hand. Thus the user need not first associate the significance of optically or acoustically communicated warning signals with the danger of collision, but the significance of the haptical warning signal is instead intuitively clear to the user.
With a preferred embodiment, the control device is an inhibitor, which counteracts the force effect of the user on the guide element when the magnetic element approaches an obstacle.
The inhibitor counteracting the force effect of the user on the guide element allows a counteracting force to be communicated to the user when the magnetic element approaches the obstacle, said counteracting force indicating to the user that the magnetic element is located in the vicinity of an obstacle. Misdirections are hereby effectively avoided.
The inhibitor preferably exerts a force on the guide element, which is increases as the distance between the magnetic element and the obstacle diminishes. The extent of the danger of collision or the severity of the collision is hereby communicated intuitively to the user.
The navigation device has a position image generator in order to determine the necessary location information, said position image generator determining a current position image of the magnetic element in the body of the patient. In this way, the position image generator can evaluate current x-ray images from an x-ray device or current ultrasound images from an ultrasound device. Furthermore, the navigation device has an ambient image generator, which advantageously generates current ambient information about the ambient of the magnetic element. In this way, the ambient image generator can evaluate image information supplied by an x-ray device, an ultrasound device or by a magnetic resonance device depending on the application case.
Furthermore, it is possible for the ambient image generator to refer back to the ambient information stored in a data base.
The navigation device finally features a position analyzer, which relates the current position of the magnetic element to the ambient information. The monitoring device is then able to determine on the basis of the location information supplied by the position analyzer whether a movement of the magnetic element desired by the user by actuating the guide element results in its coming into proximity with an obstacle and if necessary, to apply the inhibitor with suitable control signals in order to inhibit the movement of the guide element.
To register the position image and the ambient image, the position analyzer advantageously refers back to markers which are fixed to the body of the patient or to the magnetic element.
Advantageously, the magnetic element can be the tip of a catheter or a part of an endorobot or the entire endorobot.